View Full Version : getting hd programs onto vhs
cp1002
04-18-2004, 12:07 AM
i've got a few hd programs stored on my dvr cable box that a friend of mine wants. is there any way to get them on to a vhs?
summerfun
04-18-2004, 12:14 AM
First of all, are you really sure you have HD programs stored on a DVR box? They aren't that common yet, most people are still waiting.
Second, you cannot store HD on standard VHS.
Third, there are ways to store HD, but we would need to know the kind of HD DVR box you have to know what if any output ports it has.
cp1002
04-18-2004, 01:29 AM
i have the motorola 6208. can you use the analog outs to send a downconverted signal to the vcr. my friend wants some concerts that are only on hd chanels. he doesnt have hd, it sounds like the best way to get these concerts to him. will that work?
Hopeless
04-18-2004, 09:12 AM
i have the motorola 6208. can you use the analog outs to send a downconverted signal to the vcr. my friend wants some concerts that are only on hd chanels. he doesnt have hd, it sounds like the best way to get these concerts to him. will that work?
You can use composite out to transfer it to the tape, but the picture won't fill his screen. That's the only way to get it to him though, I think.
Lucky you with the 6208! Can't wait!! :)
Yes you can transfer via the composite video connection (and analogue audio - RCA cables). The resolution of regular VHS tapes is about 240 lines, therefore the HD resolution is lost and it's actually recorded at half of NTSC resolution (480i). The sound will also be analogue, not digital, although typically recorded as "HiFi".
If you, and your friend, have S-VHS decks, then the maximum resolution rises to about 400 lines, via the S-Video connection, but the analogue audio remains.
The recorded picture will be 16:9 if it's a true HD programme you have recorded, which means the total lines of resolution are now only 185. I have heard that some STBs output an "anamorphic" image on the SD outputs, but I cannot confirm that. If that were the case, then your friend would see tall, thin people, unless he had a TV that can stretch this back to normal.
You can test this by simply looking at the composite output of the STB.
cp1002
04-18-2004, 10:36 PM
thank you very much, i'll have to try that and see how it turns out